On paper it looks like Dr. Chloe Davis is thriving despite the trauma of her childhood. She is engaged to be married, has a successful practice, and has put the past firmly behind her. In reality, she keeps up good appearances. When young women with a connection to her start to go missing, she fears that a copycat is on the loose. Somebody who wants to emulate her father, the serial killer. But given her track record of false accusations, Chloe is not sure that she should take her latest accusations to the police. Not without proof. So Chloe partners with a journalist to find proof that her latest supposition is the truth. And somebody is killing young girls associated with her. Will she be able to figure out who before the daughter of a friend is gone for good?


A Flicker in the Dark is a solid offering from debut author, Stacy Willingham. Chloe Davis is a hot mess and those kinds of characters always make for interesting reading. Even her relationship with her fiance was throwing red flags at me. It seemed like her relationship with her brother, Cooper, was the most stable thing in her life. But then again, in fiction, things are rarely what they seem. For a main character, Chloe did some ethically questionable things. But it made me pity her more than question her. Parts of the ending were surprising, but I had one of the "twists" figured out early on. It was the other twist that caught me by surprise. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS.



Bottom Line - A Flicker in the Dark is a solid choice if you are looking for a good thriller for your next read. The depths of the characters will keep you entertained even if the plot doesn't.



Details:

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
On Facebook
Pages: 368
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: 1/11/2022
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to the audio of A Flicker in the Dark.

I loved the narrator for this book. Karissa Vacker did a fantastic job in helping set the mood of the story. A Flicker in the Dark has a lot of elements that I really enjoy in a book like this: a tragic past, secrets galore, a sense of not knowing who to trust, and a fast-moving plot. There were a few things I didn't love quite as much. Chloe's drug abuse was frustrating for me, and the red herrings were a little to apparent. I'd guessed what was going on pretty early on in the story, but I did enjoy continuing to listen to see if I was right. A Flicker in the Dark is dark and atmospheric, and I'll definitely pick up Stacy Willingham's next book!

Chloe Davis was only twelve when her father was arrested for murdering six teenagers over the course of a summer. Now in her thirties, Chloe has been working to overcome the trauma of her father’s crimes and how her family crumbled after the arrest. She’s newly engaged, has her own private practice, and is doing well overall...until teenage girls start disappearing again. Chloe begins to think this could be a copycat killer out to torment her, just shy of the twentieth anniversary of her father’s arrest. She begins to look into the recent murders and in turn, reveals secrets of her small hometown that have been hidden for two decades.

I read this in about 48 hours because I HAD to know the ending. It came together so well in the end. I also loved loved loved that it was set in Breaux Bridge and Baton Rouge, not far from me. The references to swamps and crawfish made me feel right at home. The only thing I wanted was for the epilogue to include a little more, but maybe I’m getting greedy

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of "A Flicker in the Dark." I enjoyed the narrator Karissa Vacker, but the story was pretty predictable and ordinary.
On a side note, I hope that NetGalley can work out the kinks with the audiobooks because I like audios!

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for this advance listener copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book. I saw quite a few negative reviews stating that it was boring, so I kind of put it off for a while. I wish I hadn't. This book was phenomenal. I also saw reviews stating that it was predictable and that people saw the twist coming a mile away. I too saw the twist ahead of time, however, it did not take away from the story. The story and mystery were still fantastic, even if you predicted what would happen. The author did a great job with the "bait and switch". When I thought I knew the twist, she just kept throwing in elements to make me second guess and while ultimately my thoughts were the correct conclusion, I really wasn't sure throughout.

I loved Chloe. She was a great character who had believable PTSD and medicated it in a way that I can identify with as a recovering addict. She was my favorite character, by far. She seemed so authentic and real and I could relate to her on so many levels. I loved seeing her come full circle and discover the truth behind her past.

All in all this was a fantastic thriller/mystery. The audio was incredible and I will defintely be seeking out Stacy Willingham's next novel. What a great debut!

Thank you for my audio book of A Flicker in the Dark. I was very intrigued by this one as it's received a lot of hype on bookstagram! I enjoyed the mystery of this one, but did figure out the twist very early on, which did detract from the story overall for me. But I did still enjoy seeing how this one played out.

4.5/5

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham is a debut novel that managed to surprise me in more ways than one! I didn't read any reviews prior to starting because I love going into books blind lately, and that completely worked for me. This was part mystery and part thriller and even when I thought I had it figured out, I realized that no I most certainly did not. I loved the number of twists and turns the story provided and was a huge fan of Willingham’s writing style. It drew me in right away and I enjoyed how engaging and dark her writing and plot were. We are dealing with the unreliable narrator trope in this one, and even though I know some people have issues with that kind of storyline, it couldn't have worked better here. I had noticed that Karin Slaughter had blurbed the book which is honestly probably what made me want to read it so bad, and I am SO glad I did.

Another thing that gets a gold star from me is the audiobook which is narrated by Karissa Vacker. She actually gave me CHILLS when she read the quote at the very beginning of the book, and I love love LOVED her for this book. She is by far one of my favorite narrators now, and for good reason. If you listen to A Flicker in the Dark you will see what I mean, and she completely enhanced the story and the characters for me. I am also really glad that I did go into the book blind and would recommend that to other readers as well. Willingham had me right away with the cover and the simple fact this book has a serial killer in it, but it is just so well written, and Chloe is such a damaged character that it is basically the story that keeps on giving. I will be recommending this to all the thriller fans and cannot wait to see what this author will think up next.

Thank you to the publishers for my advanced listening and reader copies of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

This book was soo good! So many twists and turns with well-developed characters and a perfect atmosphere. I felt like I was truly there watching a true crime documentary. Such a solid thriller & mystery!

This title was archived before I was able to read. Too bad I was excited to read it. I even chose it as a buddy read that I cohost on Instagram. I’ll now be reading the paper copy. I wish the audio was available for longer.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review A Flicker in the Dark.

Over 20 years ago, there was a serial killer on the loose in rural Louisiana. Six teenage girls went missing without a trace. Chloe's father would ultimately be arrested for these murders and confesses to the crimes leaving their family in shambles. Now, Chloe is a teen psychologist who tries to help girls in the way she wishes someone would have helped her. She is about to get married and has a seemingly good life. Suddenly, teenage girls start disappearing again and all of the memories from her past resurface. But if her father is in prison, then who is committing murders that mirror those from 20 years ago?

This book was amazing. I loved all of the plot twists and turns. Although I went back and forth between two persons of interest throughout the story with one of them being the killer, it was still such an enjoyable ride. I do wish that there had been more in the ending between Chloe and her father, but I suppose it was implied enough. I look forward to more from Stacy Willingham in the future!

RATING: 3.5 STARS
2022; Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press/Macmillan Audio

The review blurb on the cover of this book is from Karin Slaughter so you KNOW I am going to add this to my TBR without even reading the synopsis. While the ending was a bit too easy to figure out, the characters and story kept me glued. This is the debut novel by Stacy Willingham, and I can see the potential of each book growing. Anytime an author can make me invested in unlikable or and/or annoying characters, that is a win. This is a great novel to throw in your bag to head down to the beach, or the deck (in my case). I am downing for the next Willingham book. Thanks to Slaughter for leading me to a great read.

***I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook and eBook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

It is a little hard to follow along with all the flashbacks and the confusion of the narrator. I had it figured out pretty soon. I also felt a lot of the elements were too similar to other books I have read in the past.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were likable and the plot twists kept me very engaged. Chloe's life was not an easy one and she has had to deal with the anger, fear, and pain of her father's crimes her entire life. When a copycat resurfaces, Chloe just wants to run away but finds herself invested in figuring out who is behind the new murders. The narrator did an amazing job with the pacing and tone of the characters.

This book wasn’t bad. However... it guessed who it was early on and why things happened. So then it was hard for me to pick up. I did like one little twist that came towards the end. I will definitely read more from this author

This book was a page turner! Loved the ending! I did see it coming, but it still was not a disappointment.

Review posted to blog: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend.com/

Cue the assumptions, the drug use, and the paranoia.

Chloe Davis was twelve years old when her father was arrested for murdering six teenage girls.

Traumatized for life, Chloe escaped to Baton Rouge as an adult so as to try and start over. It’s been twenty years and still, it haunts her. Engaged to be married, Chloe can’t let go.

When a teenage girl goes missing, all of Chloe’s old feelings re-emerge. Then her body is found and Chloe has no choice but to investigate in order to try and stop the killer before he strikes again.

A Flicker in the Dark started out strong and I was all in... and then poof, halfway through, my interest went out like a light.

Why? The myriad of assumptions made by Chloe about potential murderers (without any proof at all), along with her anxiety and sheer paranoia, made me completely annoyed. Frankly, I just wanted to skip to the end with 45% left of the novel. Furthermore, her “ability” to obtain prescriptions in the name of other people and take numerous pills to zone out frustrated me to no end. Lastly, I happened to guess both culprits early on, and while that didn’t impact my enjoyment, I thought both were quite obvious.

While this novel wasn’t quite for me, I am only one reviewer thus I urge readers to check out other reviews.

A buddy listen with Kaceey.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio via Netgalley for the alc.

Published to Goodreads and Twitter.

This thriller was really good, however it was sooooo slow and took me awhile to get into. I actually struggled with almost putting it down as it was beyond too slow.

I like some quick thrillers and this is not one. The setup and ending were definitely worth the read.

Already posted a review on the e-arc. It’s creepy and keeps you guessing. The narrator does a fantastic job on the audio! Definitely would recommend this one on audio!

3.75*
Do you consider your family dysfunctional?

Many will answer that with an absolute YES! But, I do believe Chloe takes the grand prize. Her father is currently sitting in prison for the murder of six teenage girls. Yup! Having a serial killer for a father makes Chloe the hands-down winner.🏆

Chloe has desperately tried to put her nightmarish childhood behind her, but a little something called trust has become a huge issue…as you can imagine!💁🏻‍♀️

So what happens when teenage girls start dying…again! And Chloe knows each of them. Horrifying. But it can’t be her father, he’s still in prison. So is this a copycat? Or worse?

Though I had this one figured out early on, it in no way took away from my enjoyment… at all. It was thoroughly engaging from start to finish. This happens to be a debut from a talented new thriller author. And I’m looking forward to what she’ll come up with next!

Highly recommend the audio version!

A buddy read with Susanne (thank you 😉)

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for the #gifted copy of Flicker in the Dark! Overall, this read had all the pieces that make up a page-turning thriller. ​​​​​​​​
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This is the story of Chloe Davis, who finds out at age twelve that her dad is being arrested and tried as a serial killer, accused of killing several young girls who went missing in their small Louisiana town. Now years later Chloe is working as a therapist, trying to channel her past trauma into helping others and preparing for her upcoming wedding. Yet when young girls start disappearing yet again, she can't help but see similarities with the past events that forever changed her life. The question is are the parallels she's witnessing real or is she simply paranoid as she approaches the twenty-year anniversary of her father's incarceration? ​​​​​​​​
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Overall, I was super impressed with this debut novel by Stacey Willingham. There were several layers that Willingham brought to the plot that I appreciated because it kept me on my toes and served to throw me off the scent at times. ​​​​​​​​
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I felt like I figured out the killer early on, but that doesn't ruin things for me personally, I appreciate a good unwinding of a plot and the tying up of loose ends. How we got to the reveal also had plenty of unexpected moments. Also, the storytelling style reminded me a lot of Girl on the Train, so if you enjoyed that one you might like this one as well!